Young Scientists and The Nature Trail Project

At Deer Isle-Stonington Elementary, students from kindergarten to grade 8 embarked on a year-long project, first along the school’s very own Nature Trail- a 0.3-mile wheelchair-accessible path on school grounds and then extending to local land trust preserves. The goal was to observe and document changes in the environment, linking these transitions to climate change. Equipped with journals and scientific tools, the students spent time collecting information and recording what they saw and learned about the natural world.

In Grade 3, students became budding botanists, dissecting found alstroemeria flowers and observing them under microscopes. They also visited a professional herbarium at the University of Orono, where they learned the art of pressing and preserving plants. Inspired by this visit, the students created their own herbarium pages.

Students in grades 6 to 8 worked with the local land trust educator to carefully collect and press seaweed. Through this activity, they learned about local marine ecosystems and the importance and artistry of preservation.

Throughout the school year, the upper-grade students kept Phenology Journals to document seasonal changes. Every Friday, they spent time on the Nature Trail making observations, affectionately dubbed Phenology Friday. In the spring, younger students joined the journey beginning a six-week phenology unit, observing plants and animals and noting the changes. Their observations were posted on a whiteboard near the Main Office, a living document shared with the rest of the school and their community.

In an exciting fusion of nature and technology students partnered with a program from Haystack Mountain School of Craft. Learners used computer design and digital cutting tools to create custom T-shirts and a collaborative mural inspired by their work on the Nature Trail.

The learners’ work was displayed at the local public library from May to June, showcasing pressed seaweed, herbarium pages, and phenology journals. This incredible project is now embedded in the curriculum at Deer Isle-Stonington with students each year becoming true champions of their local environment.